Proposal unveiled to build port for mega-sized cruise ships in Manatee County

Plans are in the works for a new major cruise ship port next to environmentally sensitive Rattlesnake Key in Manatee County, it was announced Friday.

The proposed port, that would be built on 300 acres of land known as the Knott-Cowen tract, would be on the seaward side of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, to accommodate new, mega-sized cruise ships that cannot sail under the Skyway, the holding company Slip Knott LLC, said on its website.

Slip Knott LLC is a holding company for the Tampa Bay Real Estate Investment Corporation, which purchased Rattlesnake Key and the Knott-Cowen tract in December for a reported $18 million.

Proposal unveiled to build port for mega-sized cruise ships in Manatee County